Yes, the Missouri Western men’s basketball team has already played an exhibition. No, they don’t have an official game until November 11. But, it was announced 25 days ago that the Griffons will play a high level exhibition at one of the greatest college basketball venues.

At Rupp Arena. In Lexington, Kentucky. Against No. 4 Kentucky. On Sunday at 7 p.m. central.

It’s been well documented by now that Missouri Western men’s basketball coach Will Martin was a team manager at Kentucky for all four years of his undergrad - one year for Billy Gillespie and three years for Hall of Fame coach John Calipari.

In those three years, Martin was the head manager for a program that went to three Elite Eights, two Final Fours and a team that won the 2012 national championship. There’s one player from that championship team who’s now a second-year assistant at Missouri Western - Jon Hood - who says going against Coach Cal will be a unique experience.

"It's going to feel weird," he said. "But, very quickly we're going to try to make it another game. Just the next game. That's what our goal is. We'll see if it actually happens, though."

Another Missouri Western men's basketball assistant is Perry Stevenson, who worked with Martin for two seasons and played one season for Coach Cal during his playing career at Kentucky from 2006-2010.

A Lafayette, Louisiana native and former high school coach, Stevenson couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Will Martin again.

"I want to say it's been, what, almost 15 years now that I've known him," Stevenson said of Martin. "I've literally seen him grow up. We've seen each other grow up. I'm a little older than him, but we're around the same age. He's got that magnetic personality and he's one of those people you have to have in your life."

These coaches aren’t the only ones at Missouri Western with Kentucky history. Morehead State transfer and junior guard Julius Dixon has played Kentucky at Rupp Arena before - November 25, 2020 in the BlueGrass Showcase.

Morehead State lost 81-45, but Dixon led his team that day with 11 points and two made threes. Having gone to school just 65 miles away, Dixon knows well enough the history and prowess of Kentucky basketball.

"It was good," he said. "Good vibes, good atmosphere. I mean, everyone wants to play in Rupp Arena, Coach Cal. It was a good experience and I can't wait to go back."

There are story lines abound here. The Missouri Western head coach, a former Kentucky team manager, and two of his assistants, both former Kentucky players, going back to Rupp Arena to play a game against Coach Cal and a Wildcat team that’s perennially one of the best in the nation.

 Coach Martin insists that this game Sunday is not about him, or Jon Hood, or Perry Stevenson. Or even Coach Cal. But, it's hard to ignore the magnitude of the opportunity and the unique story.

"This game is about our players," Martin said. "It's about our administration and Missouri Western. But, there's definitely going to be some cool story lines and it'll be a great opportunity to get back there."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666982124068.jpeg" alt="Former Kentucky men's basketball player and second-year Missouri Western assistant Jon Hood looks on during a practice at the Looney Indoor Sports Complex in St. Joseph. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Former Kentucky men's basketball player and second-year Missouri Western assistant Jon Hood looks on during a practice at the Looney Indoor Sports Complex in St. Joseph. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe day is nearly here.Yes, the Missouri Western men’s basketball team has already played an exhibition. No, they don’t have an official game until November 11. But, it was announced 25 days ago that the Griffons will play a high level exhibition at one of the greatest college basketball venues.At Rupp Arena. In Lexington, Kentucky. Against No. 4 Kentucky. On Sunday at 7 p.m. central.It’s been well documented by now that Missouri Western men’s basketball coach Will Martin was a team manager at Kentucky for all four years of his undergrad - one year for Billy Gillespie and three years for Hall of Fame coach John Calipari.In those three years, Martin was the head manager for a program that went to three Elite Eights, two Final Fours and a team that won the 2012 national championship. There’s one player from that championship team who’s now a second-year assistant at Missouri Western - Jon Hood - who says going against Coach Cal will be a unique experience."It's going to feel weird," he said. "But, very quickly we're going to try to make it another game. Just the next game. That's what our goal is. We'll see if it actually happens, though."Another Missouri Western men's basketball assistant is Perry Stevenson, who worked with Martin for two seasons and played one season for Coach Cal during his playing career at Kentucky from 2006-2010.A Lafayette, Louisiana native and former high school coach, Stevenson couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Will Martin again."I want to say it's been, what, almost 15 years now that I've known him," Stevenson said of Martin. "I've literally seen him grow up. We've seen each other grow up. I'm a little older than him, but we're around the same age. He's got that magnetic personality and he's one of those people you have to have in your life."These coaches aren’t the only ones at Missouri Western with Kentucky history. Morehead State transfer and junior guard Julius Dixon has played Kentucky at Rupp Arena before - November 25, 2020 in the BlueGrass Showcase.Morehead State lost 81-45, but Dixon led his team that day with 11 points and two made threes. Having gone to school just 65 miles away, Dixon knows well enough the history and prowess of Kentucky basketball."It was good," he said. "Good vibes, good atmosphere. I mean, everyone wants to play in Rupp Arena, Coach Cal. It was a good experience and I can't wait to go back."There are story lines abound here. The Missouri Western head coach, a former Kentucky team manager, and two of his assistants, both former Kentucky players, going back to Rupp Arena to play a game against Coach Cal and a Wildcat team that’s perennially one of the best in the nation. Coach Martin insists that this game Sunday is not about him, or Jon Hood, or Perry Stevenson. Or even Coach Cal. But, it's hard to ignore the magnitude of the opportunity and the unique story."This game is about our players," Martin said. "It's about our administration and Missouri Western. But, there's definitely going to be some cool story lines and it'll be a great opportunity to get back there."Audio story<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/MWSU-mens-basketball-coaches-Martin--Hood--Stevenson-ready-for-unique-Kentucky-homecoming-e1ptdbn" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666982214899.jpeg" alt="Perry Stevenson." />
 <figcaption>Perry Stevenson.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666982289762.jpeg" alt="Will Martin." />
 <figcaption>Will Martin.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MWSU exhibition at Kentucky will be special homecoming for Martin, Hood, Stevenson

GOWER - East Buchanan had to scratch and claw to win the first set of Tuesday's district championship match over West Platte, 25-23.

In the second, the Blue Jays got off to a 7-2 start. These two had played a five-setter in Gower on September 15. It looked like that could happen again.

The Bulldogs, however, reeled off a 23-7 run to end set two, and never trailed in set three, as East Buchanan went on to sweep West Platte 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-19) in the Class 2 District 16 championship at East Buchanan High School Tuesday.

After getting down 7-2 early in set two, things changed for East Buchanan after a quick timeout.

"It was just refocusing," East Buchanan coach Ryan Horn said. "When we played them earlier in the year, we never won back-to-back sets. It was a weird deal. We just tried to get everybody calmed down and know their jobs. Be back on our toes. I feel like we kind of came off the high for a second."

"We didn't really change anything defensively at that time. Just asked them to play a little bit harder and they did. I think we were able to set a tone in the second set and carry it through for the rest of the evening."

The Bulldogs got off to a strong start, leading 10-6 in set one. West Platte (15-12-4) rallied to tie it at 19-19 and then they led 22-21, but East Buchanan scored two straight to get the lead back and close out set one, 25-23.

Six service errors in the first set didn't help the Blue Jays.

After a sluggish start in the second, East Buchanan found its rhythm and went up 13-11, forcing a West Platte timeout.

It was never close after that, as the Bulldogs dominated the second and won 25-14. Senior Maya Watkins had three kills and two blocks in the second frame alone.

"We knew we just really wanted it," Watkins said. "We knew it wasn't an option to do anything else besides bring our energy up. We couldn't let any ball drop. We knew we had to get to every single ball possible. So, I think just the fact the whole team was ready to work together and we knew we had to get this done made it so much easier."

East Buchanan (29-5-1) got off to an 11-5 start in the third and never looked back. West Platte made a late push, making it 23-18, forcing a Bulldog timeout. The match was over shortly thereafter.

Sophomore Rilyn Sherwood and junior Holly Caylor each led East Buchanan offensively with seven kills. Watkins had six kills and three blocks total.

"Playing with them is just amazing," Caylor said of her teammates, particularly the four seniors on the roster. "They have such great attitudes and it's so fun to play with them."

Senior Brooklyn Adams had three kills and two blocks. Juniors Zora Whitt and Kylie Clark had two aces.

Senior Libby Vandel led West Platte with 11 kills, two blocks and an ace. Junior Klaira Groom had six kills and two blocks. Sophomore Arianna Nower had six kills for the Blue Jays as well.

This marks East Buchanan's third district title in the last four years, and their 29 wins is the most they've had in the modern era - the most since a 24-win mark in 2019 at least.

"I think this one pry means the most to me," Horn said, looking back on the titles in 2019 and 2020. "This senior group is just a special group. I didn't want them to go out and not have that third one. For them to get that tonight, that was a big deal for me personally. And it's huge for our program."

The Bulldogs will stay home Thursday to host Lafayette County (20-10) at 6:30 in state sectionals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666748230432.jpeg" alt="Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostGOWER - East Buchanan had to scratch and claw to win the first set of Tuesday's district championship match over West Platte, 25-23.In the second, the Blue Jays got off to a 7-2 start. These two had played a five-setter in Gower on September 15. It looked like that could happen again.The Bulldogs, however, reeled off a 23-7 run to end set two, and never trailed in set three, as East Buchanan went on to sweep West Platte 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-19) in the Class 2 District 16 championship at East Buchanan High School Tuesday.After getting down 7-2 early in set two, things changed for East Buchanan after a quick timeout."It was just refocusing," East Buchanan coach Ryan Horn said. "When we played them earlier in the year, we never won back-to-back sets. It was a weird deal. We just tried to get everybody calmed down and know their jobs. Be back on our toes. I feel like we kind of came off the high for a second.""We didn't really change anything defensively at that time. Just asked them to play a little bit harder and they did. I think we were able to set a tone in the second set and carry it through for the rest of the evening."The Bulldogs got off to a strong start, leading 10-6 in set one. West Platte (15-12-4) rallied to tie it at 19-19 and then they led 22-21, but East Buchanan scored two straight to get the lead back and close out set one, 25-23.Six service errors in the first set didn't help the Blue Jays.After a sluggish start in the second, East Buchanan found its rhythm and went up 13-11, forcing a West Platte timeout.It was never close after that, as the Bulldogs dominated the second and won 25-14. Senior Maya Watkins had three kills and two blocks in the second frame alone."We knew we just really wanted it," Watkins said. "We knew it wasn't an option to do anything else besides bring our energy up. We couldn't let any ball drop. We knew we had to get to every single ball possible. So, I think just the fact the whole team was ready to work together and we knew we had to get this done made it so much easier."East Buchanan (29-5-1) got off to an 11-5 start in the third and never looked back. West Platte made a late push, making it 23-18, forcing a Bulldog timeout. The match was over shortly thereafter.Sophomore Rilyn Sherwood and junior Holly Caylor each led East Buchanan offensively with seven kills. Watkins had six kills and three blocks total."Playing with them is just amazing," Caylor said of her teammates, particularly the four seniors on the roster. "They have such great attitudes and it's so fun to play with them."Senior Brooklyn Adams had three kills and two blocks. Juniors Zora Whitt and Kylie Clark had two aces.Senior Libby Vandel led West Platte with 11 kills, two blocks and an ace. Junior Klaira Groom had six kills and two blocks. Sophomore Arianna Nower had six kills for the Blue Jays as well.This marks East Buchanan's third district title in the last four years, and their 29 wins is the most they've had in the modern era - the most since a 24-win mark in 2019 at least."I think this one pry means the most to me," Horn said, looking back on the titles in 2019 and 2020. "This senior group is just a special group. I didn't want them to go out and not have that third one. For them to get that tonight, that was a big deal for me personally. And it's huge for our program."The Bulldogs will stay home Thursday to host Lafayette County (20-10) at 6:30 in state sectionals.<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Ryan-Horn-e1pov6e" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Holly-Caylor-e1pov90" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Maya-Watkins-e1povab" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666749833592.jpeg" alt="Gracie Kelsey (21)." />
 <figcaption>Gracie Kelsey (21).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666749852473.jpeg" alt="Holly Caylor (11)." />
 <figcaption>Holly Caylor (11).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666749937322.jpeg" alt="Klaira Groom (14) and Kylie Clark (23) battle on the front row." />
 <figcaption>Klaira Groom (14) and Kylie Clark (23) battle on the front row.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666749960705.jpeg" alt="Maya Watkins sets the ball." />
 <figcaption>Maya Watkins sets the ball.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666749988845.jpeg" alt="Zora Whitt." />
 <figcaption>Zora Whitt.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

East Buchanan dominates late, sweeps West Platte for district title Tuesday

The NFL has suspended Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark for two games for violating the league's personal conduct policy. &nbsp;

The news was first reported from NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero on Tuesday.

The suspension for Clark, who recorded a sack and a half along with a safety in Sunday's win over the 49ers, stems from his no contest plea in September to two counts of misdemeanor possession of an assault weapon in separate incidents in 2021. &nbsp;

Clark was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service for the no contest plea. &nbsp;

The Chiefs have a bye week in Week 8, meaning Clark will be absent when they come back on November 6th against the Tennessee Titans as well as the November 13th matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. &nbsp;

Clark will be eligible to return when the Chiefs travel to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for an AFC West rivalry matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666734225271.jpeg" alt="Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark and defensive tackle Chris Jones during Chiefs Training Camp.&nbsp; Clark has been suspended two games by the NFL/ Photo by Tommy Rezac" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark and defensive tackle Chris Jones during Chiefs Training Camp.&nbsp; Clark has been suspended two games by the NFL/ Photo by Tommy Rezac</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe NFL has suspended Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark for two games for violating the league's personal conduct policy. &nbsp;The news was first reported from NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero on Tuesday.The suspension for Clark, who recorded a sack and a half along with a safety in Sunday's win over the 49ers, stems from his no contest plea in September to two counts of misdemeanor possession of an assault weapon in separate incidents in 2021. &nbsp;Clark was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service for the no contest plea. &nbsp;The Chiefs have a bye week in Week 8, meaning Clark will be absent when they come back on November 6th against the Tennessee Titans as well as the November 13th matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. &nbsp;Clark will be eligible to return when the Chiefs travel to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for an AFC West rivalry matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.&nbsp;

Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark suspended two games by NFL

SAVANNAH - Benton has been hard to count out in 2022.

The Cardinals (24-9-1) have played 11 matches this season that have gone four sets or longer. Two of them against Maryville. One of those two was Monday.

Benton was down by seven points in set one, four points in set two and seven points in set four.

Yet, the Cardinals stormed back in each of those and overcame a sluggish third set to beat Maryville 3-1 in the Class 3 District 16 championship at Savannah High School Monday.

It marks the first district title for Benton volleyball since 2017.

"It feels so good," Benton coach Lauryn Doolan said after leading her alma mater to a district championship in just her second season at the helm.

"These girls have worked so hard all year and fought through a lot of stuff. We have just one senior, so a lot of people would look at this as a rebuild year for us, losing four (seniors) last year, but they have just completely turned it around at the end of the season and just dominated. So proud."

Maryville (19-16-2) raced out to a 6-1 lead early and then a 15-8 lead in set one. The Cardinals swung at a high percentage early though, knocking down 16 kills in the first set and coming back to win it 25-23.

Set two started similarly. Maryville led 10-6, but the Cardinals reeled off a 7-2 run to grab the lead. The Spoofhounds responded out of a timeout, going on a 7-3 spurt to lead 19-16 in the second.

Yet again, Benton could not be counted out. Sophomore Andrea Simmons had three critical kills late in the second and Benton took it 25-23 to go up 2-0 in the match.

Maryville, again, grabbed an early lead in set three and this time did not relinquish it. The Spoofhounds built a 19-11 lead out of a Benton timeout and dominated the third frame 25-14.

Set four started much the same. Maryville again raced out to a lead. This time, a 14-7 advantage. It seemed like a fifth set might be inevitable.

Then suddenly, Benton found a 5-1 run, thanks to a couple of momentum changing kills from junior Hollie Peters. Up 15-12 in the fourth, Maryville called timeout.

Benton found itself, and just kept coming. Behind seven kills in the fourth by Peters, the Cardinals eked out a 24-22 lead and then Peters fired the final shot on the front row to send Benton to a district championship.

"We got down as a team and on each other, but we really pulled it together," Peters said of her team's rally. "We came together and we came to play for sure. I'm honestly just so proud of our team. I am so proud."

Peters finished with 23 kills and three blocks unofficially. Simmons had 10 kills, while Cammie Peters had seven.

"Everyone was ready to hit today," Peters noted. "Everyone was ready to play and we really just got everywhere and I'm so happy about that."

Senior Rylee Vierthaler ended her varsity volleyball career with a team-high 22 kills, including eight in the third set. Sophomore Addison Weldon had eight kills and two blocks. Senior Anastyn Pettlon had four kills and two aces.

Benton will be back home on Thursday to host either Odessa or Excelsior Springs in a Class 3 sectional match at 6:30.

A state tournament match at Springer Gymnasium is sure to be a raucous environment. Though, both fan bases had Savannah's gym bursting at the seams for most of Monday evening.

"Whenever you have a south end district championship, everyone shows up and is ready to play," Doolan said. "Half of them are my family over there. So, they know how to cheer and celebrate in the south end for sure. It was awesome. We have great fans, so (Thursday) will be an exciting night for us."

An exciting week for Benton volleyball that could be the start of an exciting run long-term. The Cardinals will say goodbye to senior libero Berlin Smith at the end of the year, but every other player on the roster is set to come back.

"I am amazed we have come this far as a team," Peters said. "I am so glad we'll have this team next year. We're losing Berlin and I am so sad about that, but I am glad that we have close to the same team that we can bring in next year."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666664779235.jpeg" alt="Benton volleyball - 2022 Class 3 District 16 champions. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Benton volleyball - 2022 Class 3 District 16 champions. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostSAVANNAH - Benton has been hard to count out in 2022.The Cardinals (24-9-1) have played 11 matches this season that have gone four sets or longer. Two of them against Maryville. One of those two was Monday.Benton was down by seven points in set one, four points in set two and seven points in set four.Yet, the Cardinals stormed back in each of those and overcame a sluggish third set to beat Maryville 3-1 in the Class 3 District 16 championship at Savannah High School Monday.It marks the first district title for Benton volleyball since 2017."It feels so good," Benton coach Lauryn Doolan said after leading her alma mater to a district championship in just her second season at the helm."These girls have worked so hard all year and fought through a lot of stuff. We have just one senior, so a lot of people would look at this as a rebuild year for us, losing four (seniors) last year, but they have just completely turned it around at the end of the season and just dominated. So proud."Maryville (19-16-2) raced out to a 6-1 lead early and then a 15-8 lead in set one. The Cardinals swung at a high percentage early though, knocking down 16 kills in the first set and coming back to win it 25-23.Set two started similarly. Maryville led 10-6, but the Cardinals reeled off a 7-2 run to grab the lead. The Spoofhounds responded out of a timeout, going on a 7-3 spurt to lead 19-16 in the second.Yet again, Benton could not be counted out. Sophomore Andrea Simmons had three critical kills late in the second and Benton took it 25-23 to go up 2-0 in the match.Maryville, again, grabbed an early lead in set three and this time did not relinquish it. The Spoofhounds built a 19-11 lead out of a Benton timeout and dominated the third frame 25-14.Set four started much the same. Maryville again raced out to a lead. This time, a 14-7 advantage. It seemed like a fifth set might be inevitable.Then suddenly, Benton found a 5-1 run, thanks to a couple of momentum changing kills from junior Hollie Peters. Up 15-12 in the fourth, Maryville called timeout.Benton found itself, and just kept coming. Behind seven kills in the fourth by Peters, the Cardinals eked out a 24-22 lead and then Peters fired the final shot on the front row to send Benton to a district championship."We got down as a team and on each other, but we really pulled it together," Peters said of her team's rally. "We came together and we came to play for sure. I'm honestly just so proud of our team. I am so proud."Peters finished with 23 kills and three blocks unofficially. Simmons had 10 kills, while Cammie Peters had seven."Everyone was ready to hit today," Peters noted. "Everyone was ready to play and we really just got everywhere and I'm so happy about that."Senior Rylee Vierthaler ended her varsity volleyball career with a team-high 22 kills, including eight in the third set. Sophomore Addison Weldon had eight kills and two blocks. Senior Anastyn Pettlon had four kills and two aces.Benton will be back home on Thursday to host either Odessa or Excelsior Springs in a Class 3 sectional match at 6:30.A state tournament match at Springer Gymnasium is sure to be a raucous environment. Though, both fan bases had Savannah's gym bursting at the seams for most of Monday evening."Whenever you have a south end district championship, everyone shows up and is ready to play," Doolan said. "Half of them are my family over there. So, they know how to cheer and celebrate in the south end for sure. It was awesome. We have great fans, so (Thursday) will be an exciting night for us."An exciting week for Benton volleyball that could be the start of an exciting run long-term. The Cardinals will say goodbye to senior libero Berlin Smith at the end of the year, but every other player on the roster is set to come back."I am amazed we have come this far as a team," Peters said. "I am so glad we'll have this team next year. We're losing Berlin and I am so sad about that, but I am glad that we have close to the same team that we can bring in next year."<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Benton-coach-Lauryn-Doolan-e1pncr8" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Benton-junior-Hollie-Peters-e1pncsk" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666664800678.jpeg" alt="Andrea Simmons." />
 <figcaption>Andrea Simmons.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666664820936.jpeg" alt="Avery Morlock." />
 <figcaption>Avery Morlock.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666664854646.jpeg" alt="Hollie Peters (12) tries to tip a ball over Maryville's front row." />
 <figcaption>Hollie Peters (12) tries to tip a ball over Maryville's front row.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666664917617.jpeg" alt="Lauryn Doolan." />
 <figcaption>Lauryn Doolan.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666664968216.jpeg" alt="Benton hoists the district championship plaque. Senior libero Berlin Smith got to hold it." />
 <figcaption>Benton hoists the district championship plaque. Senior libero Berlin Smith got to hold it.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Benton battles back, holds off Maryville in intense district title match Monday

The Kansas City Current have continued their impressive 2022 season after going into Seattle and defeating the OL Reign 2-0 to advance to the NWSL Championships where they will face off with Portland Thorns FC.&nbsp;

Kansas City is now just one step away from completing a journey that has never been done before, winning a championship just one year after finishing at the bottom of the league in the previous season.

The Current saw goals from midfielder Alexis Loera and&nbsp;forward Kristen Hamilton in the win.&nbsp; Loera's goal came just four minutes into the match, which broke the Current's record previously held for fastest goal in an NWSL Playoff match.&nbsp;

The current would follow up the opening goal by attacking early and often, finding a few chances getting the ball into the penalty box, but failing shot on goal attempts.&nbsp; The best follow up opportunity came in the 25th minute when Hamilton held up play inside the box and laid the ball off to Loera just outside the penalty area. Loera’s shot would ultimately land wide of the near post and the chance went missing

The Reign put pressure on all through the first half&nbsp;pressing the visitors’ goal with forward Jordyn Huitema missing on a similar effort as she failed to beat Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch at her near post.

Minutes later, Franch was forced into a save in the 31st minute on a point-blank headed effort from Huitema that kept the visitors on their respective toes. Down the left side of the field, Reign attacker Megan Rapinoe took Kansas City defender Kate Del Fava one-on-one and eventually lifted a cross in toward Huitema. Rushing to meet the pass, Huitema got plenty of power on her header but not enough direction as Franch got big to keep the ball out and preserve her side’s slender lead.&nbsp;

Not clear of the danger just yet as halftime approached, the Reign made sure to test Franch twice more and put their stamp on the match. First, right on the stroke of the end of regular time and second into the second minute of added time, Franch ultimately blocking both shot on goal attempts.&nbsp;

The deciding goal would come&nbsp;just after the hour mark and against the run of play, as Hamilton would put the Current in an extremely advantageous position with a clinical finish from just inside the box to go two up. Weaving her way through the Reign defense, Hamilton broke into the box and preventing a defender from getting in front of her as she cut onto her right foot and fired a low effort to the bottom left corner.

Kansas City will now face Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL Championship on Saturday, October 29 at Audi Field with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666578575361.jpeg" alt="Players from the KC Current celebrate a 2-0 win over Seattle to advance to the NWSL Championship, just one year after KC finished at the bottom of the league/ Photo courtesy of KC Current Twitter" />
 <figcaption>Players from the KC Current celebrate a 2-0 win over Seattle to advance to the NWSL Championship, just one year after KC finished at the bottom of the league/ Photo courtesy of KC Current Twitter</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Current have continued their impressive 2022 season after going into Seattle and defeating the OL Reign 2-0 to advance to the NWSL Championships where they will face off with Portland Thorns FC.&nbsp;Kansas City is now just one step away from completing a journey that has never been done before, winning a championship just one year after finishing at the bottom of the league in the previous season.The Current saw goals from midfielder Alexis Loera and&nbsp;forward Kristen Hamilton in the win.&nbsp; Loera's goal came just four minutes into the match, which broke the Current's record previously held for fastest goal in an NWSL Playoff match.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">KANSAS CITY SCORE WITHIN FOUR MINUTES. 😱 Phallon Tullis-Joyce nearly saves it but Alexis Loera&#39;s strike sneaks in. 👀 <a href="https://t.co/mK4NVIPDOt">pic.twitter.com/mK4NVIPDOt</a>&mdash; Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) <a href="https://twitter.com/AttackingThird/status/1584330196546916353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The current would follow up the opening goal by attacking early and often, finding a few chances getting the ball into the penalty box, but failing shot on goal attempts.&nbsp; The best follow up opportunity came in the 25th minute when Hamilton held up play inside the box and laid the ball off to Loera just outside the penalty area. Loera’s shot would ultimately land wide of the near post and the chance went missingThe Reign put pressure on all through the first half&nbsp;pressing the visitors’ goal with forward Jordyn Huitema missing on a similar effort as she failed to beat Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch at her near post.Minutes later, Franch was forced into a save in the 31st minute on a point-blank headed effort from Huitema that kept the visitors on their respective toes. Down the left side of the field, Reign attacker Megan Rapinoe took Kansas City defender Kate Del Fava one-on-one and eventually lifted a cross in toward Huitema. Rushing to meet the pass, Huitema got plenty of power on her header but not enough direction as Franch got big to keep the ball out and preserve her side’s slender lead.&nbsp;Not clear of the danger just yet as halftime approached, the Reign made sure to test Franch twice more and put their stamp on the match. First, right on the stroke of the end of regular time and second into the second minute of added time, Franch ultimately blocking both shot on goal attempts.&nbsp;The deciding goal would come&nbsp;just after the hour mark and against the run of play, as Hamilton would put the Current in an extremely advantageous position with a clinical finish from just inside the box to go two up. Weaving her way through the Reign defense, Hamilton broke into the box and preventing a defender from getting in front of her as she cut onto her right foot and fired a low effort to the bottom left corner.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">KRISTEN HAMILTON EXTENDS KANSAS CITY&#39;S LEAD WITH A WONDERFUL STRIKE. 💥 <a href="https://t.co/7hncuL2Zp7">pic.twitter.com/7hncuL2Zp7</a>&mdash; Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) <a href="https://twitter.com/AttackingThird/status/1584349673938046977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas City will now face Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL Championship on Saturday, October 29 at Audi Field with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

KC Current advance to NWSL Championship with win over Seattle's OL Reign

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 423 yards and&nbsp;three touchdowns&nbsp;to rally Kansas City back from another double-digit deficit in the Chiefs' 44-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Mahomes got off to a rough start in this Super Bowl rematch with&nbsp;his early interception&nbsp;putting Kansas City (5-2) in a 10-0 hole, but that once again proved to be no problem as he led the Chiefs to touchdowns on six of the next seven drives.

Mecole Hardman scored on two TD runs and&nbsp;an 8-yard catch, Justin Watson caught a 4-yard TD and JuJu Smith-Schuster finished it off with a 45 yard catch and run. Clyde Edwards-Helaire also scored on a 16-yard run.

The comeback improved Kansas City to 13-9 with Mahomes when falling behind by at least 10 points with the most memorable coming in a Super Bowl win over the 49ers (3-4) following the 2019 season.

The Chiefs took control with back-to-back touchdown drives to start the second half. They started the opening drive of the third quarter at the San Francisco 33 following a 48-yard kick return by Isiah Pacheco and a personal foul on Jauan Jennings. Edwards-Helaire scored three players later to make it 21-13.

Kansas City made it 28-13 when Mahomes found Watson for the TD one play after Jerick McKinnon gained 34 yards on a third-and-20 screen pass.

Mahomes then answered a TD pass from Garoppolo to George Kittle by hitting Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a 57-yard pass on third-and-11 to set up Hardman's second TD run.

Mahomes found Smith-Schuster on another third down play for the final TD.

Both teams blew some scoring chances in the final two minutes of the first half. Jaylon Moore was called for a false start for San Francisco on a field goal attempt, leading the Niners to punt.

But Skyy Moore muffed the punt and San Francisco recovered at the 12-yard line, only to give the ball right back when Garoppolo was intercepted by rookie Joshua Williams.

The Chiefs drove inside the 10 but had a touchdown negated by a chop block and then Harrison Butker missed a 39-yard field goal try. Kansas City led 14-13 at the break.

The Chiefs have a bye next week, but return home to host Tennessee on Nov. 6. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. The game will be carried on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665970268595.jpeg" alt="Stock photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Stock photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph PostSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 423 yards and&nbsp;three touchdowns&nbsp;to rally Kansas City back from another double-digit deficit in the Chiefs' 44-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.Mahomes got off to a rough start in this Super Bowl rematch with&nbsp;his early interception&nbsp;putting Kansas City (5-2) in a 10-0 hole, but that once again proved to be no problem as he led the Chiefs to touchdowns on six of the next seven drives.Mecole Hardman scored on two TD runs and&nbsp;an 8-yard catch, Justin Watson caught a 4-yard TD and JuJu Smith-Schuster finished it off with a 45 yard catch and run. Clyde Edwards-Helaire also scored on a 16-yard run.The comeback improved Kansas City to 13-9 with Mahomes when falling behind by at least 10 points with the most memorable coming in a Super Bowl win over the 49ers (3-4) following the 2019 season.The Chiefs took control with back-to-back touchdown drives to start the second half. They started the opening drive of the third quarter at the San Francisco 33 following a 48-yard kick return by Isiah Pacheco and a personal foul on Jauan Jennings. Edwards-Helaire scored three players later to make it 21-13.Kansas City made it 28-13 when Mahomes found Watson for the TD one play after Jerick McKinnon gained 34 yards on a third-and-20 screen pass.Mahomes then answered a TD pass from Garoppolo to George Kittle by hitting Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a 57-yard pass on third-and-11 to set up Hardman's second TD run.Mahomes found Smith-Schuster on another third down play for the final TD.MISSED CHANCESBoth teams blew some scoring chances in the final two minutes of the first half. Jaylon Moore was called for a false start for San Francisco on a field goal attempt, leading the Niners to punt.But Skyy Moore muffed the punt and San Francisco recovered at the 12-yard line, only to give the ball right back when Garoppolo was intercepted by rookie Joshua Williams.The Chiefs drove inside the 10 but had a touchdown negated by a chop block and then Harrison Butker missed a 39-yard field goal try. Kansas City led 14-13 at the break.The Chiefs have a bye next week, but return home to host Tennessee on Nov. 6. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. The game will be carried on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.

Mahomes throws for three scores, Chiefs pull away from 49ers Sunday

Bearcat defense decimates Northeastern State for Homecoming win

The home win streak extended to 17 games as the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats earned a 36-3 win over the Northeastern State Riverhawks on Homecoming.

The Bearcat defense limited Northeastern State to just three first downs and 29 yards of total offense, holding their rushing game to negative yardage as the Riverhawks rushed 19 times for -16 yards.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the Northwest offense couldn't be contained generating 485 yards of total offense (289 passing, 196 rushing) and 28 first downs.

Junior linebacker Isaac Vollstedt started the defensive gem for the Bearcats on the first series of the game, snagging an interception and setting the Bearcats up on the 31 yard line and four rushing plays later freshman running back Jay Harris found the endzone.&nbsp;

It was all Bearcats from there, with Northeastern States only points coming in the second quarter on a 27 yard field goal from Tyler Crawford.

The Don Black Award, which is given to the MVP of Northwest's Homecoming game, was given to junior wide receiver Kashan Griffin who accounted for 200 yards of total offense on the game, catching four passes for 86 yards and returning three punts for 114 yards, including a season long return of 64 yards.&nbsp;

Sophomore quarterback Mike Hohensee was the leading passer completing 20 of 29 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.&nbsp; Running back Jamar Moya led the rushing attack with 62 yards on 11 carries, while Harris was not far behind him with 12 carries for 58 yards and his touchdown.&nbsp;

The Bearcats are now 6-2 on the season with the win.&nbsp; Next up will be a road trip to Kearney, Nebraska for a matchup with Nebraska Kearney who is coming off a big 66-17 win over Lincoln in Jefferson City.&nbsp; Kickoff between the two will be at 2pm.

Gorillas remain undefeated after big third quarter against Griffons

Missouri Western traveled to Pittsburg, Kansas on Saturday and gave up three straight touchdowns in the second half, falling 28-16 on Saturday.&nbsp; <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/baad1954-6229-4f5e-811b-837a3784d8be">Read our full recap here</a>.

Ravens take over in second quarter in win over Missouri Valley

After ending the first quarter tied at 10 a piece, the #8 Benedictine Ravens went on to outscore Missouri Valley College 35-14 en route to a 45-24 victory, the Ravens sixth straight win over the Vikings.

The Ravens defense struggled in the first half, allowing 228 total yards of offense on just 28 plays to the Vikings, but Benedictine would shore up it's defense only allowing 113 yards more in the second half.&nbsp; The Ravens would finish the game with 504 total yards of offense, their third 500 plus effort in the last four games.&nbsp;

Field goals would start and end the first quarter scoring, with both teams scoring touchdowns in between.&nbsp; Missouri Valley did score the first touchdown of the second quarter, taking a 17-10 lead, before Benedictine would score 14 unanswered points to lead 24-17 at halftime.&nbsp;

The Ravens returned to the rushing attack for their next two scores, a 40 yard touchdown from freshman running back Derek Overstreet and a one yard score from sophomore wide receiver JaShawn Todd.&nbsp;

The lone score in the fourth quarter was a passing touchdown from Garrett Kettle, a short six yard touchdown to Todd, which capped the game at the 45-24 final.&nbsp;

Kettle passed for 288 yards on 19 of 33 passing throwing three touchdowns.&nbsp; Overstreet led on the ground rushing for 60 yards, a chunk of those on his lone score, while Rayshon Mills rushed 10 times for 59 yards.&nbsp; Kettle also scored one touchdown with his legs on the day.

The Ravens are now 7-1 on the year and will return home for Homecoming this Saturday, welcoming Baker University to O'Malley Field at Larry Wilcox Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 1pm.'

Tigers get out of SEC cellar with win over Vanderbilt

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri had lost its first three SEC games in increasingly heartbreaking fashion.

The Tigers finally held on down the stretch to win one on Saturday.

Luther Burden III had touchdowns on the ground and through the air, Missouri kept Vanderbilt's offense off the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter, and the Tigers proceeded to make a huge fourth-down stop with just over a minute left for a nerve-wracking 17-14 victory that lifted them out of the conference cellar.

“I've been around a lot of teams and I've not ever seen a team go through what they have and still bond and fight and have the energy in the way they practice,” Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Man, I was so proud of them."

The Commodores had a chance late in the fourth quarter before the Tigers made one more defensive stop.

“There's a lot of things that need to be fixed, some really bad things,” Drinkwitz said, “but it's easier to fix after a win.”

Missouri (3-4, 1-3 SEC) will look to continue their winning ways this week as they travel to Columbia South (Columbia,South Carolina) to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 3pm and will be aired on SEC Network.

#8 TCU overcomes deficit to steal game from #17 Kansas State

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Max Duggan threw for 280 yards with three touchdowns and Kendre Miller ran for 153 yards and two scores as eighth-ranked TCU again rallied from a big early deficit to stay undefeated, beating No. 17 Kansas State 38-28 on Saturday night to take over sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference.

Duggan's 55-yard strike to Quentin Johnston late in the third quarter put the Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) ahead to stay. That was their third consecutive drive to finish in the end zone.

The Frogs, with new coach Sonny Dykes, have won four consecutive games over ranked opponents. Three in a row was already a first in school history, which they accomplished a week earlier at home by overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat then-No. 8 Oklahoma State in double overtime.

Kansas State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) had jumped out to a 28-10 lead when Will Howard threw for two touchdowns and ran for another after taking over for banged-up quarterback Adrian Martinez on its second drive. Deuce Vaughn's 47-yard run for his first touchdown in five games capped the fourth consecutive TD drive for the K-State.

Howard ran for 14 yards on his first play and completed his first seven passes for 156 yards. He finished 13 of 20 for 225 yards, leaving the game briefly after hurting his shoulder on a running play late in the third quarter. Freshman Jake Rubley, the third K-State QB in the game, threw an interception on his first pass that came after TCU had gone ahead to stay.

Kansas State will return to Manhattan on Saturday, welcoming the Oklahoma State Cowboys to Bill Snyder Family Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff time is to be determined.

The Frogs could possibly move up a spot since No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 9 UCLA, the teams they were between, suffered their first losses Saturday. Kansas State is sure to drop some, but should still be ranked when the new poll comes out later today

Kansas loses third straight to Baylor

WACO, Texas (AP) — True freshman Richard Reese ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns, including a late game-clincher as the Bears held on to beat Kansas 35-23 on Saturday. 

Baylor had a 28-3 halftime lead in the game matching former Top 25 teams that had both lost their previous two games. 

The 5-3 Jayhawks were within 28-23 when quarterback Jason Bean scrambled 4 yards for a touchdown with 6 1/2 minutes left, ending a 93-yard drive after Baylor was stopped on fourth-and-1. 

Reese scored with 2 1/2 minutes left. Bears quarterback Blake Shapen was 17-of-26 passing for 164 yards with a touchdown, but had three turnovers.

Kansas is still without standout quarterback Jalon Daniels, who missed his second game in a row since injuring his right (throwing) shoulder after being hit late in the first half of a loss to TCU on Oct. 8. Bean was 16 of 27 for 232 yards and a touchdown.

The Jayhawks had scored 73 points in their previous two losses, but never really got much going against Baylor. They had just 76 total yards at halftime, and finished with only 288.

“We didn’t get in much of a rhythm,” coach Lance Leipold said.

Kansas had only 49 plays, while Baylor ran 83.

Kansas, which is going into his open date, dropped out of the poll from 19th this week after its back-to-back losses to TCU and Oklahoma.

“It’s definitely gonna be beneficial for us. An extra week of film, an extra week of treatment, not really banging heads every day,” center Mike Novitsky said. "That’ll be good for us ... kind of reset a little bit, get our feet back on the ground and be ready to compete.”

More details about Scott Frost firing emerge during Huskers open week

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Fired Nebraska football coach Scott Frost would have received a one-year contract extension and had his annual salary restored to $5 million if the Cornhuskers had shown improvement, gone 6-6 in the regular season and played in a bowl game, according to athletic director Trev Alberts.

The metrics had been kept private until a judge, citing state open records laws, on Tuesday ordered the terms made public. Alberts announced the terms on his radio show Tuesday night.

USA Today had sued the university after its custodian of records denied a reporter's request for the metrics. The newspaper contended the information should be public under state law, just as coaches' contracts are public records. The university argued the metrics were a personnel matter and confidential.

Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post sided with USA Today and ordered the university to release the information within seven days.

The metrics Alberts and Frost agreed upon did not guarantee Frost would be retained. Frost was fired Sept. 11, the day after a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern dropped the Huskers to 1-2 this year and 19-31 in Frost's four-plus seasons. Mickey Joseph was named interim head coach.

Alberts and Frost last November agreed to a restructured contract that reduced Frost's pay to $4 million this year. Had Frost made it through the season and won six games and gone to a bowl, he would have gotten a $1 million raise and his contract would have been extended a year to Dec. 31, 2027.

Nebraska is 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten, with Joseph winning two of the four games he has coached. The Huskers were on bye this week and will host No. 18 Illinois this Saturday with kickoff at 2:30pm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666492046526.jpeg" alt="Northwest defensive tackle Elijah Green avoids tacklers after catching a fake punt from Quarterback /Punter Mike Hohensee in Saturday's win/ Photo by Alexis Starks of Northwest Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Northwest defensive tackle Elijah Green avoids tacklers after catching a fake punt from Quarterback /Punter Mike Hohensee in Saturday's win/ Photo by Alexis Starks of Northwest Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostBearcat defense decimates Northeastern State for Homecoming winThe home win streak extended to 17 games as the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats earned a 36-3 win over the Northeastern State Riverhawks on Homecoming.The Bearcat defense limited Northeastern State to just three first downs and 29 yards of total offense, holding their rushing game to negative yardage as the Riverhawks rushed 19 times for -16 yards.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the Northwest offense couldn't be contained generating 485 yards of total offense (289 passing, 196 rushing) and 28 first downs.Junior linebacker Isaac Vollstedt started the defensive gem for the Bearcats on the first series of the game, snagging an interception and setting the Bearcats up on the 31 yard line and four rushing plays later freshman running back Jay Harris found the endzone.&nbsp;It was all Bearcats from there, with Northeastern States only points coming in the second quarter on a 27 yard field goal from Tyler Crawford.The Don Black Award, which is given to the MVP of Northwest's Homecoming game, was given to junior wide receiver Kashan Griffin who accounted for 200 yards of total offense on the game, catching four passes for 86 yards and returning three punts for 114 yards, including a season long return of 64 yards.&nbsp;Sophomore quarterback Mike Hohensee was the leading passer completing 20 of 29 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.&nbsp; Running back Jamar Moya led the rushing attack with 62 yards on 11 carries, while Harris was not far behind him with 12 carries for 58 yards and his touchdown.&nbsp;The Bearcats are now 6-2 on the season with the win.&nbsp; Next up will be a road trip to Kearney, Nebraska for a matchup with Nebraska Kearney who is coming off a big 66-17 win over Lincoln in Jefferson City.&nbsp; Kickoff between the two will be at 2pm.Gorillas remain undefeated after big third quarter against GriffonsMissouri Western traveled to Pittsburg, Kansas on Saturday and gave up three straight touchdowns in the second half, falling 28-16 on Saturday.&nbsp; <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/baad1954-6229-4f5e-811b-837a3784d8be">Read our full recap here</a>.Ravens take over in second quarter in win over Missouri ValleyAfter ending the first quarter tied at 10 a piece, the #8 Benedictine Ravens went on to outscore Missouri Valley College 35-14 en route to a 45-24 victory, the Ravens sixth straight win over the Vikings.The Ravens defense struggled in the first half, allowing 228 total yards of offense on just 28 plays to the Vikings, but Benedictine would shore up it's defense only allowing 113 yards more in the second half.&nbsp; The Ravens would finish the game with 504 total yards of offense, their third 500 plus effort in the last four games.&nbsp;Field goals would start and end the first quarter scoring, with both teams scoring touchdowns in between.&nbsp; Missouri Valley did score the first touchdown of the second quarter, taking a 17-10 lead, before Benedictine would score 14 unanswered points to lead 24-17 at halftime.&nbsp;The Ravens returned to the rushing attack for their next two scores, a 40 yard touchdown from freshman running back Derek Overstreet and a one yard score from sophomore wide receiver JaShawn Todd.&nbsp;The lone score in the fourth quarter was a passing touchdown from Garrett Kettle, a short six yard touchdown to Todd, which capped the game at the 45-24 final.&nbsp;Kettle passed for 288 yards on 19 of 33 passing throwing three touchdowns.&nbsp; Overstreet led on the ground rushing for 60 yards, a chunk of those on his lone score, while Rayshon Mills rushed 10 times for 59 yards.&nbsp; Kettle also scored one touchdown with his legs on the day.The Ravens are now 7-1 on the year and will return home for Homecoming this Saturday, welcoming Baker University to O'Malley Field at Larry Wilcox Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 1pm.'Tigers get out of SEC cellar with win over VanderbiltCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri had lost its first three SEC games in increasingly heartbreaking fashion.The Tigers finally held on down the stretch to win one on Saturday.Luther Burden III had touchdowns on the ground and through the air, Missouri kept Vanderbilt's offense off the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter, and the Tigers proceeded to make a huge fourth-down stop with just over a minute left for a nerve-wracking 17-14 victory that lifted them out of the conference cellar.“I've been around a lot of teams and I've not ever seen a team go through what they have and still bond and fight and have the energy in the way they practice,” Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Man, I was so proud of them."The Commodores had a chance late in the fourth quarter before the Tigers made one more defensive stop.“There's a lot of things that need to be fixed, some really bad things,” Drinkwitz said, “but it's easier to fix after a win.”Missouri (3-4, 1-3 SEC) will look to continue their winning ways this week as they travel to Columbia South (Columbia,South Carolina) to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 3pm and will be aired on SEC Network.#8 TCU overcomes deficit to steal game from #17 Kansas State FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Max Duggan threw for 280 yards with three touchdowns and Kendre Miller ran for 153 yards and two scores as eighth-ranked TCU again rallied from a big early deficit to stay undefeated, beating No. 17 Kansas State 38-28 on Saturday night to take over sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference.Duggan's 55-yard strike to Quentin Johnston late in the third quarter put the Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) ahead to stay. That was their third consecutive drive to finish in the end zone.The Frogs, with new coach Sonny Dykes, have won four consecutive games over ranked opponents. Three in a row was already a first in school history, which they accomplished a week earlier at home by overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat then-No. 8 Oklahoma State in double overtime.Kansas State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) had jumped out to a 28-10 lead when Will Howard threw for two touchdowns and ran for another after taking over for banged-up quarterback Adrian Martinez on its second drive. Deuce Vaughn's 47-yard run for his first touchdown in five games capped the fourth consecutive TD drive for the K-State.Howard ran for 14 yards on his first play and completed his first seven passes for 156 yards. He finished 13 of 20 for 225 yards, leaving the game briefly after hurting his shoulder on a running play late in the third quarter. Freshman Jake Rubley, the third K-State QB in the game, threw an interception on his first pass that came after TCU had gone ahead to stay.Kansas State will return to Manhattan on Saturday, welcoming the Oklahoma State Cowboys to Bill Snyder Family Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff time is to be determined.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Frogs could possibly move up a spot since No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 9 UCLA, the teams they were between, suffered their first losses Saturday. Kansas State is sure to drop some, but should still be ranked when the new poll comes out later todayKansas loses third straight to BaylorWACO, Texas (AP) — True freshman Richard Reese ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns, including a late game-clincher as the Bears held on to beat Kansas 35-23 on Saturday. Baylor had a 28-3 halftime lead in the game matching former Top 25 teams that had both lost their previous two games. The 5-3 Jayhawks were within 28-23 when quarterback Jason Bean scrambled 4 yards for a touchdown with 6 1/2 minutes left, ending a 93-yard drive after Baylor was stopped on fourth-and-1. Reese scored with 2 1/2 minutes left. Bears quarterback Blake Shapen was 17-of-26 passing for 164 yards with a touchdown, but had three turnovers.Kansas is still without standout quarterback Jalon Daniels, who missed his second game in a row since injuring his right (throwing) shoulder after being hit late in the first half of a loss to TCU on Oct. 8. Bean was 16 of 27 for 232 yards and a touchdown.The Jayhawks had scored 73 points in their previous two losses, but never really got much going against Baylor. They had just 76 total yards at halftime, and finished with only 288.“We didn’t get in much of a rhythm,” coach Lance Leipold said.Kansas had only 49 plays, while Baylor ran 83.Kansas, which is going into his open date, dropped out of the poll from 19th this week after its back-to-back losses to TCU and Oklahoma.“It’s definitely gonna be beneficial for us. An extra week of film, an extra week of treatment, not really banging heads every day,” center Mike Novitsky said. "That’ll be good for us ... kind of reset a little bit, get our feet back on the ground and be ready to compete.”More details about Scott Frost firing emerge during Huskers open weekLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Fired Nebraska football coach Scott Frost would have received a one-year contract extension and had his annual salary restored to $5 million if the Cornhuskers had shown improvement, gone 6-6 in the regular season and played in a bowl game, according to athletic director Trev Alberts.The metrics had been kept private until a judge, citing state open records laws, on Tuesday ordered the terms made public. Alberts announced the terms on his radio show Tuesday night.USA Today had sued the university after its custodian of records denied a reporter's request for the metrics. The newspaper contended the information should be public under state law, just as coaches' contracts are public records. The university argued the metrics were a personnel matter and confidential.Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post sided with USA Today and ordered the university to release the information within seven days.The metrics Alberts and Frost agreed upon did not guarantee Frost would be retained. Frost was fired Sept. 11, the day after a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern dropped the Huskers to 1-2 this year and 19-31 in Frost's four-plus seasons. Mickey Joseph was named interim head coach.Alberts and Frost last November agreed to a restructured contract that reduced Frost's pay to $4 million this year. Had Frost made it through the season and won six games and gone to a bowl, he would have gotten a $1 million raise and his contract would have been extended a year to Dec. 31, 2027.Nebraska is 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten, with Joseph winning two of the four games he has coached. The Huskers were on bye this week and will host No. 18 Illinois this Saturday with kickoff at 2:30pm..

CFB Roundup: NWMSU defense dominates Riverhawks, Tigers earn first SEC win

PITTSBURG, KS - Missouri Western played as well as could be expected in the first half, playing against the fifth-ranked and undefeated Pittsburg State Gorillas on the road Saturday.

Missouri Western held Pitt State's high-powered offense to just 54 yards on 18 plays in the first half, and the Griffons were dominating time of possession 21:27 - 8:33 through the first 30 minutes of play.

The Griffons (3-5) scored a touchdown with 55 seconds left in the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead into the locker room.

Pitt State (8-0), however, scored touchdowns on three straight drives in the third quarter, including a 67-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the second half, and the Gorillas held on for a 28-16 win at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg Saturday.

Pitt State scored three touchdowns within the first 9:02 of the third quarter and outgained Missouri Western 225-40 in total yards in the third to take control.

"We gave ourselves a chance to compete," Missouri Western coach Matt Williamson said of his team's effort in the first half. "I looked up the clock in the middle of the third quarter and we had given up 21 points."

"Our offense had not moved the ball well, we went three-and-out real quick a couple of times, and our defense gave up three really big plays and next thing we know, we're down really fast and it got away from us real quick. Very unfortunate. They outplayed us in the second half. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win there at the end."

After a scoreless first quarter, Missouri Western scored the game's first points in the first minute of the second quarter, as kicker Cody Watson connected on a 19-yard field goal to cap a 14-play, 64-yard drive to give the Griffons a 3-0 advantage.

A bit later in the second, after Pitt State went three-and-out, Missouri Western was pinned deep on their own end and went three-and-out themselves.

Pitt State brought pressure on the punting down, and Jack Barkley blocked Evan Williams' punt. The Gorillas took over at the MWSU 16.

Three plays later, Pitt got on the board as quarterback Chad Dodson, Jr. found tight end Kaizer Newell on an eight-yard touchdown pass, giving the Gorillas a 7-3 lead with 9:26 left in the second.

Pitt State would make its first big mistake of the game a couple series later. Dodson, Jr. fired a pass down the sideline that was picked off by Missouri Western's Dominic Chapa.

The Griffons then methodically put together a 13-play, 84-yard drive and bled 5:50 off the clock in the process. The drive ended with a two-yard touchdown pass from Reagan Jones to Jonas Bennett, putting the Griffons up 10-7 at the break.

Pitt State, who won the toss and deferred to the second half, got the ball to start the third quarter with a strong, 25 mph wind from the south at their back.

On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Dodson, Jr. fired a mid-range pass in the middle of the field to receiver Kolbe Katsis. Katsis, followed blocks, turned up field and turned on the jets and took it 67 yards to the house for a score, putting the Gorillas up 14-10 with 14:20 left in the third.

Missouri Western struggled to move the ball on offense for much of the second half. The Griffons punted on each of their first five possessions of the second half, and had just 88 yards of total offense over the final two quarters.

"(Pitt State) was more productive when they had to win than we were," Williamson said. "We got to a point where we were down quite a bit and we get into a passing situation, which that's not what we want to do or is who we are. They hit us on some big strikes in the second half and that's what put us down."

Pitt State had 281 yards in the second half alone. They had two more scoring drives, one for 54 yards and another for 65, to give themselves a 28-10 lead with 5:58 left in the third.

Midway through the fourth, with the wind now at Missouri Western's back, the Griffons took over at the Pitt State 45 after a shanked punt. The Griffons scored in just four plays, as Bennett found the end zone on a 12-yard touchdown run with 6:01 left in the game, making it 28-16.

The Griffons went for two, and were unsuccessful. The Griffons tried for an onside kick, and were unsuccessful. Pitt State ran out the final 5:59 of the game on 11 plays, mostly keeping it on the ground and even converting on a 4th-and-short in the closing couple of minutes to slam the door.

Missouri Western finished with 275 yards of total offense and were turnover free. Jones completed 18-of-32 pass attempts for 140 yards and a touchdown. Bennett finished with 39 all-purpose yards and two all-purpose scores.

Dodson, Jr. was 12-of-23 through the air for Pitt State, throwing for 187 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Running back Caleb Lewis was solid for much of the day for Pitt, finishing with 101 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.

Missouri Western heads back home Saturday for the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame game against Missouri Southern (4-4). The Lions lost in a close game to Emporia State Saturday 24-21 in Joplin.

Kickoff from Spratt Stadium Saturday is set for 1 p.m. The game will be on KFEQ&nbsp; Radio (680, 95.3).

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostPITTSBURG, KS - Missouri Western played as well as could be expected in the first half, playing against the fifth-ranked and undefeated Pittsburg State Gorillas on the road Saturday.Missouri Western held Pitt State's high-powered offense to just 54 yards on 18 plays in the first half, and the Griffons were dominating time of possession 21:27 - 8:33 through the first 30 minutes of play.The Griffons (3-5) scored a touchdown with 55 seconds left in the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead into the locker room.Pitt State (8-0), however, scored touchdowns on three straight drives in the third quarter, including a 67-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the second half, and the Gorillas held on for a 28-16 win at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg Saturday.Pitt State scored three touchdowns within the first 9:02 of the third quarter and outgained Missouri Western 225-40 in total yards in the third to take control."We gave ourselves a chance to compete," Missouri Western coach Matt Williamson said of his team's effort in the first half. "I looked up the clock in the middle of the third quarter and we had given up 21 points.""Our offense had not moved the ball well, we went three-and-out real quick a couple of times, and our defense gave up three really big plays and next thing we know, we're down really fast and it got away from us real quick. Very unfortunate. They outplayed us in the second half. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win there at the end."After a scoreless first quarter, Missouri Western scored the game's first points in the first minute of the second quarter, as kicker Cody Watson connected on a 19-yard field goal to cap a 14-play, 64-yard drive to give the Griffons a 3-0 advantage.A bit later in the second, after Pitt State went three-and-out, Missouri Western was pinned deep on their own end and went three-and-out themselves.Pitt State brought pressure on the punting down, and Jack Barkley blocked Evan Williams' punt. The Gorillas took over at the MWSU 16.Three plays later, Pitt got on the board as quarterback Chad Dodson, Jr. found tight end Kaizer Newell on an eight-yard touchdown pass, giving the Gorillas a 7-3 lead with 9:26 left in the second.Pitt State would make its first big mistake of the game a couple series later. Dodson, Jr. fired a pass down the sideline that was picked off by Missouri Western's Dominic Chapa.The Griffons then methodically put together a 13-play, 84-yard drive and bled 5:50 off the clock in the process. The drive ended with a two-yard touchdown pass from Reagan Jones to Jonas Bennett, putting the Griffons up 10-7 at the break.Pitt State, who won the toss and deferred to the second half, got the ball to start the third quarter with a strong, 25 mph wind from the south at their back.On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Dodson, Jr. fired a mid-range pass in the middle of the field to receiver Kolbe Katsis. Katsis, followed blocks, turned up field and turned on the jets and took it 67 yards to the house for a score, putting the Gorillas up 14-10 with 14:20 left in the third.Pitt State never trailed again.Missouri Western struggled to move the ball on offense for much of the second half. The Griffons punted on each of their first five possessions of the second half, and had just 88 yards of total offense over the final two quarters."(Pitt State) was more productive when they had to win than we were," Williamson said. "We got to a point where we were down quite a bit and we get into a passing situation, which that's not what we want to do or is who we are. They hit us on some big strikes in the second half and that's what put us down."Pitt State had 281 yards in the second half alone. They had two more scoring drives, one for 54 yards and another for 65, to give themselves a 28-10 lead with 5:58 left in the third.Midway through the fourth, with the wind now at Missouri Western's back, the Griffons took over at the Pitt State 45 after a shanked punt. The Griffons scored in just four plays, as Bennett found the end zone on a 12-yard touchdown run with 6:01 left in the game, making it 28-16.The Griffons went for two, and were unsuccessful. The Griffons tried for an onside kick, and were unsuccessful. Pitt State ran out the final 5:59 of the game on 11 plays, mostly keeping it on the ground and even converting on a 4th-and-short in the closing couple of minutes to slam the door.Missouri Western finished with 275 yards of total offense and were turnover free. Jones completed 18-of-32 pass attempts for 140 yards and a touchdown. Bennett finished with 39 all-purpose yards and two all-purpose scores.Dodson, Jr. was 12-of-23 through the air for Pitt State, throwing for 187 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Running back Caleb Lewis was solid for much of the day for Pitt, finishing with 101 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.Missouri Western heads back home Saturday for the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame game against Missouri Southern (4-4). The Lions lost in a close game to Emporia State Saturday 24-21 in Joplin.Kickoff from Spratt Stadium Saturday is set for 1 p.m. The game will be on KFEQ&nbsp; Radio (680, 95.3).<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Matt-Williamson-postgame-comments-vs--Pitt-State---102222-e1pkk1b" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Pitt State scores 21 third quarter points to top Missouri Western Saturday

The final week of the regular season in both Kansas and Missouri is in the books.

MEC &nbsp;Chillicothe 46 (5-4)&nbsp;Benton 14 (3-6) - FINAL

#7 Maryville 49 (6-3) Lafayette 14 (0-9) - FINAL - Maryville clinches share of MEC title with the victory. - Lafayette is winless for the first time since 2006.

Bishop LeBlond (5-3) @ Knox County (2-6) - Saturday at 1 p.m. - It would be LeBlond's 4th straight win.

&nbsp;#8 Savannah 27 (8-1)&nbsp;#6 St. Pius X 13 (6-3) - FINAL - Savannah clinches a share of MEC title with the win.

KCI #2 East Buchanan 41 (8-1) Lawson 0 (6-3) - FINAL - EB clinches the KCI outright with the win.

#5 Mid-Buchanan 62 (8-1)&nbsp;Plattsburg 6 (0-9) - FINAL

North Platte 36 (5-4) Lathrop 14 (2-7) - FINAL Thursday - First winning season for North Platte since 2011. The Panthers also clinch the #3 seed in Class 1 District 8.

Hamilton 46 (3-6)&nbsp;West Platte 8 (3-5) - FINAL - The two will rematch in districts

GRC 11-man Putnam County 42 (7-2)&nbsp;Polo 8 (2-7) - FINAL #4 Gallatin 13 (9-0) Princeton 0 (1-8) - FINAL via forfeit - Gallatin is the GRC 11-man champ and #1 seed in Class 1 District 7.

Trenton 48 (8-1)&nbsp;South Harrison 0 (2-7) - FINAL

Milan 34 (5-4) Maysville 26 (4-5) - FINAL

GRC 8-man #1 North Andrew 66 (9-0)&nbsp;Southwest Livingston 8 (0-9) - FINAL - North Andrew is the GRC 8-man champion and all but certainly the #1 seed in 8-man District 4.

St. Joseph Christian (1-7) @ King City (5-3) - Saturday at 10 a.m.

#3 Albany 74 (8-1) Pattonsburg 32 (3-6) - FINAL Thursday

#5 Worth County 66 (7-2) Stanberry 14 (3-5) - FINAL

275 Conference Rock Port 14 (6-3) Mound City 8 (2-7) - FINAL

Stewartsville-Osborn 72 (5-4)&nbsp;DeKalb 48 (1-8) - FINAL - Wildcards secure first winning season since 2016.

South Holt 28 (5-4)&nbsp;Nodaway Valley 22 (3-6) - FINAL

#4 Platte Valley 30 (8-1) #6 East Atchison 16 (8-1) - FINAL - Platte Valley clinches 275 Conference title and #2 seed in 8-man District 4.

Greater KC Suburban St. Joseph Central 42 (5-4)&nbsp;Truman 7 (1-8) - FINAL - Central gets its first winning season since 2013 and will stay home for the first round of playoffs.

Northeast Kansas #4 Troy 65 (7-1)&nbsp;Riverside 0 (3-5) - FINAL. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/024bc916-3ba9-43bb-bca6-58b1d08bc7d9">Full coverage of that here</a>.

Atchison 59 (8-0) Wyandotte 18 (2-6) - FINAL - Atchison is the Meadowlark Conference champion.

Rossville 50 (4-4) Maur Hill Prep Mount Academy 6 (2-6) - FINAL

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666414055517.jpeg" alt="Photo by Harry Loomis." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Harry Loomis.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe final week of the regular season in both Kansas and Missouri is in the books.MEC &nbsp;Chillicothe 46 (5-4)&nbsp;Benton 14 (3-6) - FINAL#7 Maryville 49 (6-3) Lafayette 14 (0-9) - FINAL - Maryville clinches share of MEC title with the victory. - Lafayette is winless for the first time since 2006.Bishop LeBlond (5-3) @ Knox County (2-6) - Saturday at 1 p.m. - It would be LeBlond's 4th straight win.&nbsp;#8 Savannah 27 (8-1)&nbsp;#6 St. Pius X 13 (6-3) - FINAL - Savannah clinches a share of MEC title with the win. KCI #2 East Buchanan 41 (8-1) Lawson 0 (6-3) - FINAL - EB clinches the KCI outright with the win.#5 Mid-Buchanan 62 (8-1)&nbsp;Plattsburg 6 (0-9) - FINALNorth Platte 36 (5-4) Lathrop 14 (2-7) - FINAL Thursday - First winning season for North Platte since 2011. The Panthers also clinch the #3 seed in Class 1 District 8.Hamilton 46 (3-6)&nbsp;West Platte 8 (3-5) - FINAL - The two will rematch in districtsGRC 11-man Putnam County 42 (7-2)&nbsp;Polo 8 (2-7) - FINAL #4 Gallatin 13 (9-0) Princeton 0 (1-8) - FINAL via forfeit - Gallatin is the GRC 11-man champ and #1 seed in Class 1 District 7.Trenton 48 (8-1)&nbsp;South Harrison 0 (2-7) - FINALMilan 34 (5-4) Maysville 26 (4-5) - FINAL GRC 8-man #1 North Andrew 66 (9-0)&nbsp;Southwest Livingston 8 (0-9) - FINAL - North Andrew is the GRC 8-man champion and all but certainly the #1 seed in 8-man District 4.St. Joseph Christian (1-7) @ King City (5-3) - Saturday at 10 a.m.#3 Albany 74 (8-1) Pattonsburg 32 (3-6) - FINAL Thursday#5 Worth County 66 (7-2) Stanberry 14 (3-5) - FINAL275 Conference Rock Port 14 (6-3) Mound City 8 (2-7) - FINALStewartsville-Osborn 72 (5-4)&nbsp;DeKalb 48 (1-8) - FINAL - Wildcards secure first winning season since 2016.South Holt 28 (5-4)&nbsp;Nodaway Valley 22 (3-6) - FINAL#4 Platte Valley 30 (8-1) #6 East Atchison 16 (8-1) - FINAL - Platte Valley clinches 275 Conference title and #2 seed in 8-man District 4.Greater KC Suburban St. Joseph Central 42 (5-4)&nbsp;Truman 7 (1-8) - FINAL - Central gets its first winning season since 2013 and will stay home for the first round of playoffs.Northeast Kansas #4 Troy 65 (7-1)&nbsp;Riverside 0 (3-5) - FINAL. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/024bc916-3ba9-43bb-bca6-58b1d08bc7d9">Full coverage of that here</a>.Atchison 59 (8-0) Wyandotte 18 (2-6) - FINAL - Atchison is the Meadowlark Conference champion.Rossville 50 (4-4) Maur Hill Prep Mount Academy 6 (2-6) - FINAL#4 Hayden 56 (8-0) Hiawatha 0 (2-6) - FINAL#1 Axtell 68 (8-0) Doniphan West 0 (1-7) - FINAL